


Thoughts on Crystal Lake

by Tessa54



Category: The A-Team (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:22:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27121078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tessa54/pseuds/Tessa54
Summary: What are the Team thinking after they escape from Decker at the gas station?
Kudos: 10





	Thoughts on Crystal Lake

**_BA’s thoughts:_ **

Another one of Hannibal’s crazy jazzed-up ideas. What is this stupid multi-tasking stuff, anyway? We all gotta do every job. Why can’t we all jest do our own job? That’s worked out jest fine up to now. So I end up shooting up them MPs cars. And that stupid fool ends up drivin’ my Van. Crashing ma Van through doors… the fool don’t know how to do that. You gotta do it jest right. He don’t know how to do that. He better not have done any damage to ma Van…or I’m gonna damage him. No, I’m gonna damage Hannibal. Yeah, Hannibal. His crazy idea. The fool was jest doing what he was told. Now he’s drivin’ ma Van. ‘Don’t fool around in a movin’ vehicle. Strap in…’ I oughta bust some sense into his head. Yeah, well, that won’t happen any time soon. Faceman’s the only one who can get any sense outta that fool.

And that’s another thing. Faceman. He still part of the Team, far as I remember. So how come Hannibal didn’t tell Face the Plan? We knowed that stupid bimbo was a plant for Decker. We all knowed. And we all knowed the Lieutenant would fall for her jive. So how come Hannibal didn’t just ring him up on the phone in that fancy car of his and tell him? Or even give the LT a heads up on the radio? He coulda done that easy. I wanted to do that. I said ‘We gotta warn Face.’ And what did that crazy, jazzed-up Hannibal say? Somethin’ about ‘an object lesson for Face, BA’ dunno what that means. But Faceman picked up the girl, like I said he would, and came drivin’ in there, all innocent. And we’re already hiding. But does Hannibal tell Face, even then? No, he’s gotta do this stupid old guy disguise and con the LT. Hannibal is gettin’ to be crazier than Murdock.

Well, I said I wasn’t flyin’ and it looks like we ain’t gonna be flyin’. Murdock came up with somewhere we can go. Maybe he ain’t such a fool, sometimes. Sounds real nice. Peaceful. Jest hope there’s plenty of food. Can’t see what that fool’s doin’, but he’s mighty quiet now. Hannibal’s shut up now, too. ‘Bout time. He was really bein’ hard on Face, like the whole thing was his fault. I ain’t used to bein’ back here… I gotta tell Hannibal to stop smokin’ them stupid cigars in my Van. Can’t breathe back here. Face, he ain’t sayin’ nothin’ neither. Hannibal had no call to be so snarky to Face. Decker showin’ up weren’t Face’s fault. It was Hannibal’s own fault, him and his crazy plan. It ain’t right for him to blame the LT for that. And Face left his pretty car back there. Maybe that’s why he’s so miserable. Yeah, that’s gotta be it… And I want my Van back…

“Pull over, Fool. They ain’t chasing us now. And I’m driving.”

**_Hannibal’s thoughts:_ **

I love it. This is all working out according to my plan. We need to keep sharp, stay on top of things. We’re all getting soft lately. Maybe not complacent, but close to it. It does the guys good to change things around. BA was not happy at all when I told him that Murdock was doing the driving and he was going to do the shooting. Haha! No, not happy at all. I don’t think Murdock was any happier. But they’re good soldiers. They follow orders. Okay, they might growl a little, but only a little. And they always follow orders. I can rely on them.

Now, Face… he has selective hearing when it comes to orders. Oh, he’ll obey, quick smart, provided I’m standing right in front of him and speak slowly and clearly when I give the order. But when he’s on his own he gets real careless. He ignores things like Standing Orders: check in; always keep your eyes open; keep a low profile – things that will save his neck. Especially when girls are concerned, and when aren’t girls concerned when it comes to the Lieutenant? And today he forgot the Standing Order about never picking up hitchhikers, especially girls. We all knew that girl was a plant for Decker, and we all knew that Face would fall for it. Even BA begged me to warn him. But, no. The best way to teach the Kid an object lesson was to let him fall into the honey trap - again - then pull him out so he can see what could’ve happened. He needs to keep his mind on the job and off long legs in short skirts. He was so distracted that he didn’t even see through my disguise… Hell, I could’ve shot him in that washroom. That was a good disguise, though… He hardly said a word when I chewed him out…kindly, I think…but I can imagine a lot of eye-rolling going on behind my back. He’ll stay in line for a while now, if he knows what’s good for him.

A cabin at Crystal Lake. Sounds good. A week or two in the wilderness with nothing but trees and trees and more trees will do us all a world of good. Fresh air, solitude, relaxation, obstacle courses, living off the land… Just what we need right now. A few nights on perimeter guard will take the Lieutenant’s mind off girls and get it back where it belongs, on the Team.

Murdock’s idea, this cabin. I like this new serious version of Murdock. I know he’s a great pilot but he’s not a bad driver either, and he follows orders. And this suggestion of his just shows that, if he’s given a little responsibility, he can step right up to the plate down here on the ground.

Yeah, I’m looking forward to this little vacation.

**_Face’s thoughts:_ **

Why does this always happen to me? Is there a target on my back or something? Gotta find a mirror and check that out. A bigger mirror than the rear-view in the Vette. That’s only good for checking my hair… Oh, no! The Vette! I left her behind. Again. That means another trip to the Impound. Lucky I still have the keys. But they’re gonna throw out the alignment again if they tow her. And I dropped my jacket in the front seat – no, it’s okay. Thank you, Lord, my wallet’s in my back pocket. I’m in enough trouble already without losing all of my fake IDs. Didn’t like that jacket much anyway, but it wasn’t too bad with this outfit…

I was having such a great day, too, until it all went to hell in a handbasket. On my way to meet the guys. Wrap this up real quick. A beach party with Susie and her friends to look forward to at the weekend. Sunshine, nice scenery, the Vette purring like a kitten, top down, wind in my hair… Just a perfect drive, on a good road, on a lovely day. Freedom. Yes, sir, a great day. Until it wasn’t. I might be in trouble here.

I know Standing Orders. I do. But, come on, I couldn’t drive right by that poor girl and leave her out there in the middle of nowhere, could I? I’m supposed to be an Officer and a Gentleman. That means I have to look out for damsels in distress, right? And those legs… It’s my duty to help out. I mean, anybody could’ve come by… rough guys, truckers… she might have been in danger. No, I had to help. Okay, so maybe I should have tried to use the phone and ring the Van but, I mean, all those hills, out in the middle of nowhere, there was probably no service anyway. And the guys were supposed to be miles away so the radio would have been out of range. I had to take her to civilisation, or what passes for it out here. I’m in trouble.

Boy, those legs… I know I should’ve seen through Hannibal’s disguise right off. But he was supposed to be miles away, and he didn’t stand still for a minute and let me get a good look at him, otherwise I would’ve known. I’m sure I would’ve known. Okay, I admit he got me rattled enough to get the drop on me in the bathroom, and that should never have happened. But he didn’t yell at me. Not then, and not later in front of the other guys, in the Van. No, he was reasonable about it. Sarcastic, yeah, but reasonable. I’m in real trouble.

We’re going to a cabin at Crystal Lake, out in the middle of nowhere. Just trees and a lake and lots more trees. “All the limbs you want, Face, and not a girl in sight to get us into trouble,” he said. Of course, by ‘us’ he means me. But I know, from experience, what happens when Hannibal gets up close to nature: he likes the rest of us to get real close and personal with nature. Climbing trees; messing about in swamps; swimming lakes; the dreaded obstacle course – oh, God, please just kill me now. I know he’ll have something especially awful planned just for me… I’m in deep trouble.

What’s going on with Murdock, anyway? At least he’s not tried to force vitamins down my throat. Yet. I guess there’s still time. But this sane, serious Murdock? Driving the Van. Telling BA to sit down and buckle up… that’s funny. This cabin out in the sticks was his idea, though. And Hannibal went right for it. That never happens. Hannibal usually just ignores Murdock’s ideas… I have a bad feeling about this. I’m really in deep, deep trouble.

**_Murdock’s thoughts:_ **

I think I need to book a room next to mine at the funny farm for Hannibal. What the heck was he thinking back there? How could he throw Face under the bus like that? We all knew that long-legged bimbo was a Decker plant and Hannibal let poor Facey walk right into it. We told him to warn Face. We both told him. BA was quite concerned. But would Hannibal listen? No, he would not. “We’re losing our edge,” he said, “especially Face. And this will be an object lesson for him.” Yeah, Colonel, an object lesson that could have wound up with Face in custody, maybe even shot, maybe even dead. But could Hannibal see that? No, he could not. As usual, he came up with “I have a plan.”

So what was this wonderful, amazing, foolproof plan? We wait at the nearest gas station where Hannibal, the best shot we’ve got left when we don’t have Face, disguises himself as the old gas station owner; BA, our best driver, hides with an M16 to do the shooting; and I sit in the Van, in a garage, ready to bust through the doors and drive us to freedom if I hear gunfire. And we wait there, just on the off-chance that Face picks up the bimbo, drives in there like an innocent little bunny and Decker shows up before we leave. And that’s supposed to be a Plan? I’m definitely booking that room.

Okay, so Facey can’t resist the bimbo - gotta work on that - and he does drive in there like an innocent little bunny, but does Hannibal say “Come on, Face, we need to get outta here right now. She’s bait and Decker’s coming.” Does he? No, he does not. He couldn’t have done or we all would’ve been outta there, no shooting. And I wouldn’t have had to drive BA’s Van through those doors. I just know he’s going to be looking for the slightest little teeny-tiny scratch and he’s gonna want to beat me up for it. And that will hurt.

Facey’s gone really quiet now after Hannibal was so sarcastic and mean to him. I can see him in the rear-view mirror. He looks upset and worried. That shirt makes his eyes so blue… He looks good enough to eat, but then he always does. He seems so sad.

Don’t worry, Facey, when we get to the Lake I’ll take you fishing. You’ll like that, I know you will. Maybe we can even bunk together; those cabins are really small, we’ll have to share bedrooms. Huh! I bet Hannibal is planning to stick you outside on guard duty all night to teach you a lesson. Well, that’s okay. I can sneak out and keep you company. A whole week out there, maybe even two, I reckon I can get you out there in the forest. Make you forget all about those bimbos, no matter how long their legs are…

Well, Colonel, you’re not the only one with a Plan here. My Plan is the cabin at Crystal Lake. And you fell for it!


End file.
